First published to great success in 1985 The Mammoth Book of Great Detectives is the best collection of detective stories ever produced. This giant and unique volume, collecting together all four of Herbert van Thal's popular books of great detective stories, features 35 of the best detective stories ever told. The stories range in style and setting from the mean streets of Raymond Chandler's New York to the classic English whodunnit by Agatha Christie. Includes such gems as Arnold Bennett's 'Murder!', Edgar Wallace's 'The Treasure Hunt', Ellergy Queen's 'The Black Cats Vanished', P D James' 'The Victim', E C Bentley's 'The Inoffensive Captain', H R F Keating's 'Inspector Ghote and the Miracle Baby', Agatha Christie's 'Sing a Song of Sixpence', G K Chesterton's 'The Eye of Apollo', Raymond Chandler's 'Goldfish' and Georges Simenon's 'The Evidence of the Altar-Boy'. The Mammoth Book of Great Detectives also includes contributions from such famous names as Leslie Charteris, E W Hornung, Dorothy L Sayers, Julian Symons, Roy Vickers, Wilkie Collins, Michael Innes, Baroness Orczy, Edmund Crispin, Freeman Willis Croft, Antonia Fraser and many more.
This is undeniably a mammoth book, but it was lacking in truly great detective stories; you know what I mean, the kind that focus on a mystery and provide clues which will enable the astute and imaginative reader to have a crack at solving it. With a title like "The Mammoth Book of Great Detective Stories" and a total of twenty-six tales, the mystery fan expects clues, red herrings, and twists and turns galore. In fact, there were only a few captivating tales, so I can't give the anthology more than 2/5 stars overall.
Here are the contributions that I think are worth mentioning:
Margaret Coles' story was the standout murder mystery, including a great setting, clues, and even a map, while Leslie Charteris and Freeman Wills Crofts offered thought-provoking howdunnits, one involving a child's toy and the other a murder on a train. Dulcie Gray and June Thomson provided tales of psychological suspense, exploring the murderous mind, and Dorothy Sayers took us on an action-packed adventure with Lord Peter Wimsey.
Twenty-six
Reading updates
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3 July, 2016:
Finished reading
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3 July, 2016:
Reviewed